AOS callout after teens held at gunpoint

The police armed offenders squad took one man into custody yesterday morning after three teenage boys complained they were held at gunpoint in Merivale.

One of the teenagers, an 18-year-old, told the Bay of Plenty Times he and two friends pulled into a driveway in Merivale to pick up another friend about 10.30pm on Sunday when a man with a gun jumped out of the bushes.

He held the boys at gunpoint and demanded cigarettes before making the trio drive him back to his house, he said.

Once at his house the man made the teenagers stay in the car while he fired shots down the road, the teenager said.

I was pretty traumatised.

Victim

The teenagers sped off in their car when the man went to his front door.

"I was pretty traumatised," he said. "I didn't really want to say anything to him in case it was the wrong thing to say while we were in the car."

Western Bay of Plenty tactical response manager Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair confirmed there had been an incident where teenagers had been allegedly held at gunpoint and kidnapped.

The armed offenders squad searched a Parkvale address about 8am yesterday in relation to the incident, he said.

One man was taken into custody.

Police were last night unable to provide further details regarding whether an arrest had been made and what, if any, charges had been laid.